System of files.



T. WALLBR. SYSTEM 0F FILES. APP'LIOATION'HLED Nov. 24, 190s.

" Patented Oct. 11,1910.

4 BHEETBr-BHBET 1.

T. WALLER; SYSTEM 0F FILES. APPLICATION FILED HOV. 24, 1908 972,302. j Patented 0015.11, 1910.

` 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. WALLER. SYSTEM or FILES.

` v I I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1908. 972,302.

`Patented Oct. 11,1910

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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fr. WALLER. SYSTEM 0F FILES. l APPLIUATION FILED HOV. 24, 1908.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

4 SHEBTB-BHEET 4.

Immun l Hin- TBIGG vW'ALLEIB', OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM 0F FILES.

Specication of. Letters Patent.

Patented oet. 11, i910.

Application led'November 24, 1908. Serial No. 464,305.

To all 'whom itmay concern: l

Be it known that I, TRIGG WALIER, a citizen` of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State `*of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Files, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a system of files, in which the files are movably and detachably connected together, so that they lie one back of the other when in the case, but whicl will fall one below the other so as to expose a. part of each file when taken from the ease. The` object of the invention is to provide the files of such a system, with connecting or mterlockng means which will be durable, allow any of the files to be easily examined withoutdetachment, simplify th-'e re-attachment of the files after separation, or the addition of new files, which will eliminate or lessen the liability to error and confusion in handlingthe files.I diminish the aggregate t'hickness of the files when lying one behind the other as much as is consistent with' ,the strength and durability of the attaching means, and, in general, to improve such a filing system andmake it of practical value.

A special object of the invention is to provide the tiles each with an interlocking ltongue made of a separate piece of material,

preferablystronger than the paper or other material of the file, and to hinge the same to the file by means of a tough but flexible fabric which will allow the tongue to be manipulated freely and at the same time will stand Ithe continual wear and bending, :which the device must be subjected to in practical use.

Another special object of the invention is to provide the slot in the file which receives .the tongue of the next succeeding file with 'a guard vwhich will prevent such tongue being accidentally thrust through the slot of the file beyond, and which will also serve to prevent v.the files from falling" apart when they are lifted out ofthe case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper file, as, for example, a card,

witha tongue of metal 'which shall be sel curely hinged to said file.

Another object of the invention is to construct the file, the hinge and their 4connecting means so that the aggregate' thickness of the., files whenin position in the case is not materially increased by the means usedl for interlocking -the files.

" The invention has for further objects such Fig. 16. Fig.

new and improved constructions, arrangements and devices in systems of interlocking files 'as will be described in the following specification and particularly set forth in the claims appended thereto.

The invention, in several typical and illustrative embodiments is shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure 1 is a vert-ical, sectional elevation ofa case of interlocked files showing the files collapsed one back of the other. Fig. 2 is a similar' View with the files extended so as to expose an index portion of the saine. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale and with certain features of oonstructionaccentuated for the ,purpose of clearness of illustration. Fig 4 is a per# spective view of one form of tongue. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the backof a file. Fig. 6 is a, front elevation of a modified form of filing system. Fig. 7 isa section on line 7--7 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows, the thickness of the parts being accentuated to more clearly show their construction and arrangement. Fig. 8 is a perspective View of one of the files shown in the previous two figures. Fig. 9 is a partial section through the system of files illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, but with the files collapsed, the section being take-n through the interlocking means atone side'oi' the files. Fig. 10 is a partial elevation of t-he back of a file showing'a modification or supplemental feature particularly applicable t'o the index card of a system of files. p Ion line 11-11 of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 12 is a partial front elevation illustra-ting another form of interlocking means. Fig. 13 is a detail in perspective of one of the files shown in Flg. 12. Fig. 14 is a similar perspectiye View illustrating another modification. Fig. 15 1s Fig. 11 is a section thistlatter modification. Fig. 16 is a detail .elevation illustrating a further modification.

Fig. 17 is a'section taken on line 17-17 of 18 is a front elevation of a differently constructed system of files. Fig. 19- is a detail in perspective of the file of this lattercharacter. Fig. 2() isa view similar to Fig. 18 illustrating a further modification. Fig. 21 is a detail-in perspective of a file of this construction; and Fig. 22 1s a vertical section through the upper part of the file, tongue and hinge of the construction shown in Figs. 2() and 21. Fig. 23 .1s a

vloe

' detail sectional vieW showing the tongue 33 in its relation to the card.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 25 represents a case and 26 a number of files which are here shown as the cards of a card file. The cards may be arranged in the case lin classes, for example, alphabetically, and each class may be provided with an index card, such as 27 ,provided with an index tab 28 for an initial letter, and a lifting tab 2.9. In the arrangements shown, the cards of any given class are interlocked together and are connected with their appropriate index Acard, so that by' taking hold of the lifting tab of the index card, all of the cards ofthe class maybe lifted from or taken out of the case together, the cards, it will be' understood, being so connectedone with another that they fall one below the other so as to` expose the upper portion of each card as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. I have devised various means for obtaining` this movable interlocking or interconnection of the cards, which, it will be understood, should be of such a character as to allow any of the cards to be detached, and which should also permit the cards lying over any given card to be turned back, so that such card may be examined without detachment. In these firstv ve figures, each of the cards 26 is cut away -on its upper margin, so as'to form a notch 30 and over this notch, on the back of the card, is pasted a strip of material 31 preferably of some tough but flexible cloth. This strip of cloth has the slot 32 through 46 which extends the upper end of theinterlocking tongue 3 3, which is reduced at this polnt by the notches 34, the projecting shoulders above and below the notches being preferably provided with the points V35. rIhe head of the tongue may be bent slightly before it is thrust through the slit in the cloth and then, when it is bent back, the tongue Awill be prevented from slipping out of place, the points 35 aiding in thisrespect. A tongue of this construction may be, and preferably` is, made of some very thin, light material, such as aluminum.

The strip of cloth 31 is left free from the card below the slot and pasted down on the card at the sides, thus leaving a space 36 for the reception of the tongue-of the card next -in front of 1t. The arrangement of one cardupon the other is illustrated in Fig. 3, where,

it will be understood, the thickness.- ofthe' parts is that, in

very considerably exaggerated, so consequence, the. tongues have 4to be shown as bent. In practice there will be no appreciable bend in the tongues. rI he lifting tab 29on index card 27 maybe made by folding a piece of tough fabric and pasting itsends downon opposite sides of the card,

as shown in Fig. 3. The index card need not be provided with atongue, unless it is desired that the different classes of cards should be linked together, as well as all the cards of a given class. The strips 31 on the back of the cards are preferably carried far enough down the ca'rds so as to prevent the tongues of the cards infront of them from turning on their hinges, so as to cause the separation of the files, which kis likely to happen if the cards are heavy or if there arc a good many on a string. The strips also prevent the tongue of a card from being thrust through the slots or spaces in a file beyond the one to which the card is to be attached. The head of the tongue beyond the .hinging point makes ,it easy to manipulate the tongue in making the attachment. The hinge between the card and tongue works very freely. If it is desired to examine any card in the middle of the string, all of the cards in front of it may be turned back. As this will be done constantly in files which are in continual use, it is important that the hinge between the tongue and the file lshould be such as will stand wear.

If desired, the lifting tab might be applied to the back card of the class and the index card left in the case to mark the place of the class when removed; or, if it is not desirable to attach the liftingi tab to 'one of the files, it could be attached to a separate card made for that purpose.

In Figs.A 10 and 11 I-have shown a construction which is `particularly suitable for the back card'of any given class, this construction being a modification of the construction of the first five figures, although the same featuremight be employed with a different construction of tongue and slot. Instead of the attaching tab or strip 31, I employ an elongated strip 37, which forms a pocket for the tongue 33. This strip may be made to extend beyond the card to form a lifting tab /38 and may be carried over and pasted down on the opposite side of the card, as indicated by the .dotted line 39. In Fig. 10 the parts are broken away so as to show in full lines part of the tongue 33 and part of the attaching tab 31 of the next card. The pocketfformed by the piece 37 incloses the tongue 33, so as to prevent it from lturning on its hinge and so as to prevent it from lapsed string of files is put back in the case.

formed of double thickness, the ends 43, 44 being .pasted to opposite sides of the card, as

iio

`interfering with anything when the col- In Figs. 6 to 9inclus i .ve I have shown a' guide which prevents the tongue on the4 next card in advance from being thrust accidentally into the slot in the card beyond. The parts 47, 48 `may be made of a single piece of stiff cardboard.

' Figs. 14 and 15 .illustrate a somewhat similar construction employing, however, a separate, preferably "metal, tongue and a fabric hinge for the same. The card 49 is slotted at 50. The tongue 51 has a slot 52 through vwhich passes a strip of cloth 53, the ends of which are pasted down on the front` of the card. A strip of cardboard 54 is attached to fthe front of the card and extends throu h slot 50. s

Figs. 16 an 17 provide an attaching tab which projects beyond the card, so that the hingingof the tongues does not increase the aggregate thickness of theA iles as a Whole. In this respect this constrluction is of the same character as the construction shown in Fig. 1, in which the attaching tab is set into the card. The' attaching tab 55 is secured to the card 56 by two projecting strips 457,'

which are preferably'spaced apart the width of the tongue 58. Tab has the slot 59, and the tongue the head 60.' The tongue may be slipped into the slot by bending the head a trifle.. A slot or space 61 intervenes between `the` tab and the cardthrough which the tongue on the next card may be thrust. In this construction it is not necessary to perforate the card. The interlocking of the cards adds to the aggregate thickness of the string of cards on y `to the extent of 'the thickness-of the tongues or strips 57.

Figs. 18 and 19 show a very simple construction in which the cards 62 are slotted at 63 and provided with tongues 64, preferably of cardboard, which are attached to the cards by means of the fabric hinges 65.

. The abovel construction 4is modifiedl 4in Figs. 20, 21 and 22, which provide a 4tongue having a projecting'end, making `it easier 'of manipulation and preventing the cards from -catching onthe edges of the slots of adja- Vcent cards, which is likely to'hap'pen' with @he construction shownin Figs. .18 and 19,

.particularly after the cards have become alittle worn. In these last three figures the card 66 has the vslot .67 and the tongue`68 is perforated at .69 for the hinge strip 70,9

whichl is pasted down on the' front of thea l'tongue for' said file ada card. The upper end of ton e 68, projecting beyond the upper edge o the slot, serves as a guide to its card when the string of cards is collapsed. This part also forms a tab which is convenient in making the 'attachment with the card' which comes before in the system.

I do not limit myself to the particular devices,I constructions and 'arrangements shown anddescribed, as modifications might be devised which would come within my invention as defined by the claims.

Certain ofthe devices and arrangements shown in separate figures of the drawings might obviously be employed in conjunction, but, as it would not be illustrate every possible combination of such devices without unduly increasing the number of illustrations', I haye attempted merely to show in one figure or another the various improvements which constitute the objectsV of'my invention.

I'have used in the specification and claims- U the Word tongue to signify the engaging member which is movably connected with the body of the le, thereby any particular form of device. The proportionsl of the tongue can be varied at will.

I claim: I u 1.- In a system ofinterlocking files,a -file made of paper, and a separately formed ted to' interlock. with ano-ther file and provided with aH-hige-v forming portion of tougher material than paper, whereby it may be movably secured to said first mentioned file.

2. In a system of interlocking files, a file possible 'to but I do not intend l made of paper, and a separatelyl formed l interlocking device for lsaid file adapted-to interlock with another L,file and provided with .a hinge-forming portion of tougher lmaterial than paperfwhereby it may be movably secured tosaid first-mentioned file.

v3. In a system' of interlocking files, a paper ile,.a metaltongue movably secured to the file and adapted to removably interlock with another file.

4. In a system of interlocking files, a file,

a separate tongue for the same., and attaching means made of cloth for attaching i the tongue to the -iile said tongue being lapted to removably interlock with anothere. 5. In a system of interlocking files, ,a file of paper, a tongue for the-same of metal, and a cloth device for hinging the tongue to the file said tongue beirfg adapted to removably interlock with another ile.

, 6. In a system of interlocking files, a file, a separate tongue for the same, and at attaching tab for connecting the tongue to the file, a part of which' doesnot' overlie the file,

-the tongue being attaclitelrll to such part and adapted to interlock w another file.

45 with a fileon oneI side of said file,

tached to such art and adapted to interlock vith another fi e.

8. In a system of interlocking files, a file of paper, a metal interlocking tongue, and a cloth attaching'tab provided With a slot in 1o which the tongue is hinged.

9. In a system of interlocking files, a file of paper, a met-al interlocking tongue and a ci th attaching tab provided with a slot in Which the tongue is hinged, said tongue provided Withcshoulders having points which y revent the tongue from being Withdrawn rom the tab.

10. In a system of interlocking files, a tile,

a separately formed tongue` adapted to engage with a file on one side of said file, and

l means for at-taching the tongue to the tile, v which means, With the iirst mentioned file, provides an engagement for the tongue ofl a file on the other side of said first mentioned file.

11. In a system of interlocking files, 'a file, @a separately formed tongue for the same 'adapted to engage with a file on one sidevof said fiiefand an attaching tab for the tongue 3o secured to one side of the first mentioned tile and which', with said first mentioned file, constitutes an engagement for the tongue of a file on the other side thereof.

12. -In a system ofinterlocking tiles, a file,

a separately formed`tongue for the same,

adaptedv to engage with a file on one side of said file, and a strip of cloth secured on one sideof the first mentioned file with Which the ton ueis hingedly connected andwhi 40 with said first mentioned file, constitutes an engagement for the tongue of a file on the other side thereof.

. 13. In a system of interlocking files, a file, a tongue hinged to the tile adapted to engage tongue having a part extending above the point of attachment between the tongue and .-theiirst mentioned tile, and means on the 'saidl first mentioned 'file for engaging the 5'0 tongue of a file on the other side thereof.

A I4. In al system of interlocking files, a pa.- per file, a metal tongue, a strip of cloth pasted \on the tile provided With a slot in which the tongue is hinged, so that the parts 55 project beyond the .slot,-an dan engagement on said tile for the tongue of another file.

15. In a systemi of interlocking tiles', a filing unit providedvwith a tongue and With aF said perforation through which is passed the tongue of another unit, and a guard on the back of the file which extends over said per'- foration.

1.6. In a system of interlocking les, ale, a separate tongue, and an attaching device for the tongue a portion of which extends within the margin of and is 'attached to the body of the file.

17., In a system of interlocking files, a file 'having a notch in its upper margin, a strip of cloth secured to the file so as to overlie the notch, a tongue hingedly connected to said strip of cloth, and van engagement for the tongue of another file.

18. In a system of interlocking files, a file having a notch in its upper margin, a strip of cloth secured to the tile so as to overlie the notch and having a slot therein, ,a tongue hingedly mounted in said slot, and an engagenient for the tongue of another file.

1 9.- l'n a system of interlocking files, a le having a notch in its-upper margin, a strip of cloth secured tothe back of the tile soas to overlie the notch and provided with a slot, a tongue hinged in the slot, and shoulders on the tongue Which prevent it from detachment from said stri of cloth.

20. In a system of inter ocking files, a le having a notch in its upper margin, a strip of cloth secured to the back of the file so as to overlie the notch, and a tongue hinged in said strip of cloth, the strip of cloth being free from the file in the middle, so as to leave a space for the tongue of another file.

VQ1. In a system of interlocking iiles, a file, a tab projecting from the file by means of which the tile may be handled, a tongue nonintegral therewith hinged to vsaid tab, and an engagement for the tongue of another file.

22. /In a'system of interlocking les, a filing unit provided with a slot; a separate tongue which projects through said slot provided With means for preventing. it from slipping'out of the slot; and means for engaging a. tongue on another file.

23. In a system of interlocking files', a filing unit having a perforation therethrough and provided on the back with a pocket consisting of a strip of cloth pasted to said file, Which pocket is adapted to receive an engaging tongue of another iilewhen passed through said perforation. A

TRIGG WALLER.

VVitne'sses:

'1). H. TRUMAN, Gr. Y. SKINNER.

Corrections 'in' Letters Patent No. .972,3l2.-`

Itis hereby certified that "in Letters Patent No. 972,302, granted October 1l, 1910,

upon the application of Trigg Waller, of Highland Park, Illinois, for an improve- .ment in Systems of Files,uerrors 'appear in the printed specification reqnring correction as follovvs: Pago3, line 126, the word at should-read an; page 4, line 2, the vlvord of shouldreadfo@ and that the saidLetters Patent should be read lwith, these corrections therein that' the same may conform to the recori of the case in the Patent Oiice.

Signed and 'sealed this 1st day of ovember, A. yD., v1910.

l [sEAL.] E. B. MOORE,

@ammissomr Qf Patents. 

